Rule-cutting machine.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

J. A. RICHARDS.

RULE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1911.

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ATTORNEYS COLUMBIAPLANDGRAEN (0 wAsmNnToN. D. c.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

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ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO-IWASHINGTDN u c JOHN A. RICHARDS, OFALBION, MICHIGAN.

RULE-CUTTING MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. January 5, 1911.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1911.

Serial No. 600,909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State ofMichigan, have invented an Improved Rule-Cutting Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

I have devised and put in successful practical use an improved machinefor cutting into various lengths the steel rules or other metal stripssuch as used by printers, lithographers, box-makers, noveltymanufacturers, and the like.

A special and improved feature of the machine is its adaptation forcutting bent rules as well as straight ones. When a bent rule is to becut, the shelf or gage-bar, which serves as a support for straight ruleswhile being cut, is raised and swung back out of the way, which allowsdue access to the cutting mechanism so that the bent rule may bemanipulated in the required manner. In order to provide for cutting bentor curved rules or strips of very small diameter, the bar provided witha knife-edge with which the cutter proper coacts, is adapted fordetachment so as to allow substitution of another bar of differentdiameter.

The invention also includes a micrometer gage attachment and a slidablerod gage adapted for supporting one or both ends of a rule while beingcut.

The invention further includes other features as will be hereinafter setforth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top or plan view of themachine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the same on line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, the shelf or gagebar forsupporting straight rules being raised and thrown back out of the way asrequired when cutting bent rules. Fig. 4: is a longitudinal section onthe line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on the line 55of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the interchangeable knife-edge bar. Fig.8 is a plan view of the gage-block and its screw attachment.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the cast iron frame or bed of the machineis rightangular in plan, the short head 1 serving for support andpivotal attachment of the rule-cutter, and the cam for operating it,while the longer flat-topped portion 2 serves for attachment and supportof a swinging gage-bar, or shelf, 3, upon which straight rules are laidto be out.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the gage bar is provided with arms 3 whichare pivoted near the ends and on the rear side of the frame portion 2and when the gage bar is in the horizontal or working position indicatedin Fig. 1, the said arms lie in grooves in the part 2. The upper side orsurface of the gage bar 3 is provided with a series of transversenotches 4, as shown in Fig. 1, and the surface is also graduated for thepur pose of readily determining the length to which a rule is to be out.

A gage rod 5 is held slidably in lugs formed on the upper side of thearms 3 and to this rod, intermediate of the said arms, is applied a rulegage 6 which is slidable on the rod to and from the cutting mechanismand may be clamped in any adjustment by means of a screw 7. A clampscrew 8 is also applied to one of the lugs of the arms 3, as shown inFig. 5, for the purpose of clamping the gage rod 5 in any requlredadjustment. The ends of this rod are bent or curved reversely, asindicated at 5 and 5 in Fig. 1.

The notches or transverse grooves 4 in the rule shelf or gage bar 3 donot afford so fine an adjustment of the sliding gage 6 as is oftendesirable, and, therefore, I provide the gage with a micrometeradjustment.

A screw 6 see Figs. 1 and Ahaving an enlarged head 6 provided with aseries of circumferential ribs, or teeth with milled edges, is arrangedhorizontally in the gage block 6. The ribs or teeth of the screw headwork in the transverse grooves at of shelf 3, and their milled edgesafford a friction hold, so that the screw may be easily rotated toadjust the block 6 toward or from the cutter.

The smooth part of the head 6 of thescrew which is next to the gageblock proper, is marked or graduated, thus: 1--234:- 5-0. A spring catch10see Figs. 1, 3 and 6-is attached to the free edge of gage-block 6, andengages the edge of the shelf 3, so as to lock the gage block detachablyand hold it firmly in place when in use. A springactuated pin 9 servingas a detentsee Figs. 1 and 8is applied for holding the nut in anyadjustment, it being understood that this device permits manualadjustment of the nut, but looks against accidental rotation.

For convenience of description of the operation of the apparatus, thegraduated bar or shelf 3 may be termed the main gage, and the ends 5 and5 of the rod 5 may be termed the front and rear extension gages,respectively. If, now, a printer wishes to cut a short piece, say pica,off a short rule having a length, say, of 21 picas, he would use themain gage and the micrometer or gage block, the latter being set at 0,one turn from its regular position, since one turn would be theequivalent of a half pica, or six points printers measure. In otherwords, the main gage or micrometer would be used when only a short pieceis to be cut off an already short rule. But, if it were required to cutthis same pica piece off of a length of rule which is 180 picas long, itwill be more convenient to use for this purpose the extension gage 5 andin setting it for this measurement, the end 5 would be moved backagainst the knife edge 18 and the micrometer or gage block would be setback to th extreme or farthest shelf hinge,

i move the end 5 of the rod 5, pica forward from the knife; then raisethe micrometer or gage block (the screw 7 being still tight) and move itforward 20 picas on the shelf graduat-ions and a measure of 20:} picaswill be indicated in front of the knife, this being secured by the useof the micrometer or gage block on the main gage shelf, and no attentionneed be paid to whatever measure or distance is between the knife andthe gage block. Now, having secured the desired measure in front of theknife, the screw 8 is tightened and the screw 7 loosened, and themicrometer or gage block thrown back out of the way, so that the longlength of the rule (180 picas) may be extended on the main shelf.

The use of the rule extension gage 5 will be apparent from thefollowing: Suppose the printer wishes to cut a piece of rule 110-3 picaslong, which is longer than the main shelf will accommodate between thegage block and the knife; but, by having the rear extension gage 5adjusted at 84 on the main gage and having the micrometer or gage blockset back near the knife end of the machine, with the screw 7 tight andthe screw 8 loose, the micrometer or gage block may be set to thedesired point; in this instance the equivalent of one revolution or -1;pica; then move the block with the screw 7 still tight, back 25 picas,which will give the desired length of 110%, picas, or 85 plus 259;. Now,tighten the screw 8 and loosen the screw 7 and throw the block back outof the way, and the rule can be laid on the main gage or shelf 3 and cut110%- picas. The

foregoing explanation shows that the micrometer or gage block has atriple application in this machine, since it will give a micrometeradjustment on the main gage or shelf, also on the front extension, andon the rear extension, which is a feature of much importance, since itadapts the machine for a variety of measurements or lengths of rules.

The cutting mechanism is constructed and operates as follows. As shownin Fig. 2, a lever 12 is arranged transversely and practicallyhorizontally in the head 1 and is provided with a pendent arm 12 againstwhich a spring 13 is arranged to press. This rlght angular part ispivoted at 14 in the head and is provided at its free end with a cutterconsisting of a blade 15 whose edge 1s in-. clined and beveled in therequired manner. A cam 16 is adapted to act on a shouldered portion ofthe knife lever 12, the same being pivoted at 17 in the head 1 andprovided with a handle 16 by which it may be conveniently and powerfullyoperated. The

knife proper 15 coacts with a knife-edge bar l8see Figs. 2, 4c, and 7thesame being squared at one end and circular at the other and providedintermediately with a groove or rabbet 18*, against the vertical side ofwhich the knife 15 acts in cutting. The longer flat-topped portion 2 ofthe frame is provided with transverse grooves, as will be seen byinspection of Figs. 1, 2, and 4:, that serve to receive and holdsecurely the knifeedge bar 18. In other words, the squared portion orend of the bar 18 wedges tightly in the corresponding groove of part 2,so that the grooved portion 18 of the same extends across the verticalspace or opening 19 that exists between the head 1 and the side 2. Whenit is desired to cut a bent rule, which of necessity cannot be laid flaton the shelf 8, the latter is raised and thrown back out of the way orinto the position indicated in Fig. 3, which leaves the space 19 betweenthe head 1 and side frame 2 easily accessible. Thus, the portion of thebent rule which is to be severed may be placed over the knife-edge bar18 and the body of the rule may hang or lie in the space 19 or extendbeyond it. Then the cutting mechanism is operated as before indicated.This provision of a space between the parts 1 and 2 and the bridging ofthe same by the knife-edge bar 18 is, therefore,

a very important feature of the machine,

diameter in its circular portion may be substituted without difficulty.

I thus provide a machine essentially simple in construction andoperation which is adapted for cutting rules and metal strips of variouskinds for various purposes, and is equally adapted for straight rulesand bent or curved ones by the simple expedient of adjusting thestraight rule shelf in one position or another.

While the machine is primarily intended for the uses hereinbeforespecified, I desire it understood that in larger size it may be verysuccessfully employed for cutting large bars or thick metal strips forvarious uses.

What I claim is 1. The improved rule-cutter, comprising a rectangularframe formed of two portions separated vertically by a considerablespace, a knife-edge bar bridging such space, a cutter proper arranged tocoact therewith, and a shelf or gage bar hinged to one of the portionsof the frame and extending in a direction at right angles to theknifeedge bar and adapted to be swung vertically to bring it into or outof working position, substantially as described.

2. In a rule-cutting machine, the combination with a frame and cuttingmechanism proper arranged thereon, of a rule supporting shelf havingtransverse notches in its surface, a gage block, and a support there foron which it is adapted to slide along said gage-bar and having teethadapted to engage the grooves of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a rule cutter, the combination with a rectangular frame, a cutterproper pivoted in one portion of the same, a rulesupporting bar attachedto the other portion at right angles to the cutting mechanism, aslidable rod held adjustably and having the ends which project beyondthe cutting mechanism curved reversely, whereby it is adapted forsupporting the ends of a rule which is to be divided, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a rule cutting machine, a support for the rule while being cut, aknife and means for forcing it downward for efiecting the cuttingoperation, and a knife-edge bar held detachably in the frame, the latterbeing provided with a groove adapted to receive a portion of the saidbar which is wedged therein, so as to be held securely while in use, asshown and described.

JOHN A. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

F. W. CULVER, Gno. O. STEARNS, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

